Yonatan Rom
A survivor of the 2002 Atzmona pre-military academy terror attack who became a kidney donor, discovering his recipient was the brother of the man who saved his life during the massacre.
Yonatan Rom is an Israeli citizen whose personal story reflects the deep interconnectedness and resilience of Israeli society. In March 2002, during the height of the Second Intifada, Rom was a student at the 'Otzem' pre-military academy (Mechina) in Atzmona, located in the Gush Katif bloc. He was present when a Hamas terrorist infiltrated the campus, opening fire and throwing grenades at students. During the attack, which resulted in the deaths of five students and dozens of injuries, Rom's life was saved by the decisive action of Eyal Tam, the commander of the local emergency response team (Kitat Konenut), who engaged and neutralized the terrorist.
Decades later, Rom decided to become an altruistic kidney donor. In a remarkable turn of events reported in July 2026, Rom discovered shortly before the transplant surgery that the recipient, Reuven Tam, was the brother of Eyal Tam—the very man who had saved him twenty-four years earlier. This closure of a historical circle has been highlighted as a symbol of national solidarity and the enduring bonds formed through shared trauma and mutual aid in Israel.
Rom's story bridges the memory of the Gush Katif communities with contemporary Israeli values of volunteerism and life-saving contributions. His experience underscores the long-term impact of the Second Intifada on a generation of Israelis and the ways in which individual acts of bravery and generosity continue to shape the national fabric.